Writing Studies, English, BA

OUR STUDENTS GET THE CHANCE TO TRY THEIR IDEAS: When Emily Weber '14, was a student, she suggested some marketing ideas to the Writing Center's director,
Professor Ben Rafoth, and he said “yes” to them. “I just ran with it,” Weber said. “Before I started, there was no Twitter account for the Writing Center. Now, there are nearly 500 followers and 30-40 tweets a week.”

Varied Topics, Varied Approaches

“In English, you start somewhere, on a topic, and you can go so many different ways with it. IUP did a great job of keeping the topics broad enough to write about a lot of different things.”

Michele (Sharrow) Marvich, BA in both English Writing and English Literary, Textual, and Cultural Studies, full-time technical writer for EHS Consulting, based out of Pittsburgh

Polish your skills and style in the English/Writing Studies track

If you love the play of words and what words can do and want to pursue a career as a writer, you’ll find yourself right at home in our community of writers passionate about honing their craft and led by our expert, renowned faculty.

The curriculum, which includes elective courses in fiction and poetry as well as technical writing, lets you focus on the writerly side of literature: how writing works; its formal characteristics; and how, by immersing yourself in the language of great
stories, poems, and plays and taking note of its features, you can learn to apply this knowledge to extend your own creative reach.

As a Writing Studies major, you’ll be encouraged to design your own course of study, beginning with core requirements in literature, language, and, of course, writing.

By pursuing the Writing Studies Track, you’ll delve deeper into writing, studying the theory and practice of writing in a variety of genres under the guidance of accomplished faculty ready to help you achieve your creative goals.

As you learn about various approaches to writing tasks for diverse audiences, as well as the nuts and bolts of editing and publishing in traditional and digital environments, you’ll refine your skills to create a portfolio of work to use in applying to
graduate programs or for professional positions.

Advisors Help Him Juggle Triple Major

“I swear I have the best advisors. I don't have to worry about how my classes interact. My advisors talk to each other and help me make it work.”

Elijah Rosenthal, triple major in English Writing, English Literature, and Political Science